


In this Moment

by JeromeSankara



Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [3]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Adopted Peter Parker, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Established Relationship, M/M, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Self-Sacrifice, Time Loop, Tony Stark/Stephen Strange Parenting Peter Parker | Supremefamily | Strange Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-25
Updated: 2020-01-25
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:21:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22398481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JeromeSankara/pseuds/JeromeSankara
Summary: There is a single weapon that can stop Thanos.Time.It is time for Doctor Strange to fight once more, but he will have to do it alone. He has a moment to say good-bye.Ironstrange Bingo: TitanBad Things Happen Bingo: I'll only slow you down
Relationships: Tony Stark/Stephen Strange
Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1349692
Comments: 4
Kudos: 120
Collections: IronStrange Bingo 2020





	In this Moment

“There has to be a better way, anything-”

“There isn’t.”

“Look  _ again, _ there has to be one you missed, something else, something different-”

_ “There is no other way!” _

_ “I’m not losing you!” _

Voices echoed across the barren land of Titan, the only living beings standing amongst the rubble of a civilization long gone. One stood still, the other pacing across the dry, ravaged earth, and even more surrounding them in a silent audience, watching the future of their universe being tossed between the two. Back and forth for what felt like hours,  _ days, _ but had only been minutes.

Too many minutes. Wasting time.

Now the silence crackled like dry lightning, waiting to erupt again. But there was no time for anger, grief, even understanding.

“Tony,” Stephen tried again, his voice rough. All those futures were still pouring through his head, of the literal  _ millions _ of ways this could all go astray, and the one where they survive lingering on the surface. “Fourteen million, six hundred and five. This is the only one we win. You have to  _ trust me.” _

“The only thing  _ I’m _ hearing is that my self-sacrificial asshole husband wants to throw himself in the face of an angry grape and maybe, fucking  _ maybe, _ out of possibly  _ thousands _ of fights, distract him long enough to get reinforcements!” Tony spat back, his face flushed and nearing the tint of his iconic suit. “Give me one good reason why we can’t all fight together? There’s enough of us, there  _ has _ to be a way-”

“Every time we stand and fight alone, we  _ die. _ The universe is snapped in half and no matter what combination of Avengers or superheroes survive, it will  _ never _ be enough. This is the only time we will fight Thanos by himself. It needs to be the time we are at our strongest, and we cannot do that without time.”

Time.

The Eye of Agamotto weighed heavier than it ever had around his neck, and one shaky hand reached up and grasped at the pendant. This was their chance. Their greatest weapon. But Stephen needed to make Tony  _ understand. _

Tony swallowed, Stephen could visibly see his throat tighten. He paused his pacing if only to step closer, meeting Stephen eye to eye, barely inches apart. “You can’t promise me that you’ll still be here when we come back,” Tony muttered, his voice low and brittle. “I don’t even know  _ how _ I’m supposed to gather everyone up, I can’t just scream ‘Avengers assemble’ into the sky and expect an army at my side.”

“Wakanda. They’re in Wakanda right now fighting off Thanos’ Children,” Stephen said, the scenes flashing through his head. Each of those scenes split off into different timelines. Their only chance was that  _ everyone _ had to survive. If they lost anyone, they would lose. It would take every ounce of their strength to defeat the greatest enemy the universe had ever seen. His hand tightened around the Eye of Agamotto. All he could give was time. By the time they returned…

“Okay,” Tony began, sucking in a deep breath and rubbing his face rapidly with his hands. Attempting to clear his thoughts. It wouldn’t work. “Okay. So I… what, I just leave you here? Why can’t I stay and fight with you? We hold him off together, everyone else-”

“I can’t do that, Tony.”

“Like hell you can’t!”

“You will or the universe will fall.”

“I don’t give a shit about the fucking universe!”

Tony’s shout echoed across what felt like the entire planet of Titan, and the look of horror that overtook the mechanic’s face gave Stephen every answer he already knew. This wasn’t going to be easy. Tony had already decided. He was not leaving Stephen behind.

But Tony had to.

“You’re going to Wakanda,  _ all _ of you. You will fight and defeat Thanos’ Children and bring  _ everyone _ back on Titan. You are going to-”

“I’m not  _ leaving-” _

“-use Thor’s axe to sever Thanos’ arm, you will know the right moment, and you  _ will not miss.  _ Take the gauntlet- _ ” _

“Are you listening?!”

“-and banish him. Don’t use all the stones at once. The world still needs Iron Man after this.”

“The  _ universe _ still needs a Sorcerer Supreme!” Tony spat back, even as his face was paling. His eyes were constantly flicking down to Stephen’s hand. To the sling ring that he wore. Any moment, he could throw them through a portal, and Tony knew that. Maybe that was why he turned away, searching through the faces of the others that surrounded them.

No one was going to speak up, not as they all averted their gaze. They knew what had to be done, and judging by the way his hands started to fist at his sides, Tony was not pleased. "You're all just going to sit there and let this happen? Do you have  _ any _ idea who this is? Who  _ we  _ are?"

They didn't, and they did not care, because they just wanted to survive. All except one.

The one that Stephen knew would be the hardest to push away.

It was a meek voice that spoke to his left, still a distance away. Like this was just another illusion. "There's… There's another way. Right?"

Stephen sucked in a breath and held it. He let it ache in his chest, along with the guilt, anguish, bitterness, and grief that spread like a disease. No, he didn't have time to feel. He didn't have time to pity himself. The consequences would only be worse. He had to do this.

One day, they might forgive him.

Straightening himself, Stephen turned and looked Peter in the eye. The innocent, terrified eyes of a boy that may lose everything. 

"Peter, I need you to be brave," Stephen murmured, closing the distance and taking Peter's gloved hands into his own trembling ones. The webbing pattern matched the thick scars that ran along his fingers, and he stared at them. He ran his thumb across the stitching. Tony always made such wonderful suits.

Looking back up, Stephen had to swallow down the ache again. Tears in Peter's eyes. The son he and Tony vowed to protect now was the one who stood in the way of it. "I need you to stay with your father. And I need you to come back safe and ready to fight."

"I want to stay with you!" Peter suddenly burst, and the tears finally started to spill. Stephen could practically hear the boy's heart pounding yet breaking more with every beat.

"I need you to be brave!" Stephen repeated, the force in his voice making Peter flinch and his insides rot.

"I am brave! I'll fight with you! I'm not afraid of him!"

_ I'm just afraid of losing you.  _

Stephen swallowed. They were running out of time. His shivering hands tightened onto Peter's, who did the same in return. 

"You have to be brave without me."

"Steph, this is crazy, we're not-" Tony started behind him, the anger barely overcoming the fear Stephen knew was burning inside.

"Drax, stop him," Stephen commanded without ever looking away from Peter, even as the boy's eyes widened and stared back over his shoulder.

"Don't fucking touch me! I'll blast you right here-"

"Dad, you can't do this!" Peter cried out, trying to pull his hands away from Stephen's, but even as the force made every nerve and torn ligament scream, Stephen held strong. The eyes flashed back at him. "Don't do this! I don't want to go! I don't want to leave you!"

"You will, because you have to," Stephen said quietly, even as he heard the struggles behind him. He would not look back, because the second he did, he knew he would forsake the universe to change his mind.

This was what had to be done.

The chaos only grew louder behind him as the others were forced to try to control Tony, and Stephen knew he didn't have any time left. At least not with his family. Not here.

Stephen's hands finally released Peter's, and even as Peter tried to retaliate with webbing, Stephen threw up a shield to guard against the intervention. "I'm proud of you," Stephen said, and he never broke Peter's gaze even as he raised his hand and began to form the portal.

"Dad, no-!"

"I've always been proud of you. You will both have to be brave," Stephen called out over the crackling of the portal, over the pounding of his own heart, and of his insides being torn to ribbons by his choice.

You have to be brave, now. I'll just slow you down.

He heard Tony scream his name. He heard the blaster start loading. He heard Peter cry out for him to stop. But all Stephen saw was the ring of sparks swallow them up by the flick of his wrist.

And then it was silent. Then he was alone.

Yet there was no time to grieve. Even as the breath he had been holding suddenly escaped in a sob, Stephen raised his hands again and watched the familiar green runes circle over his arm.

He set the loop and closed his eyes, only opening them when he heard heavy feet step onto the earth a few feet away.

"It is only you, Sorcerer."

Stephen took in a breath that will not be his last. He turned and stared back to his enemy, to the Titan he locked into the loop. He raised his arm and stared back down to the runes. 

"It's just us, now. You and me."


End file.
